Artefact Pets and their value

Recently while considering what to do about my yet-again slain mount, I came across the Artefact Pet idea. Tossing the idea around a little, I'm on the fence with it. It'd be nice to have an invincible mount, but that seems like a very large amount of credits to spend on such a thing.

In a nutshell, it seems like if you're going to get one, to go big or go home.

That being said, I am quite curious of each of the Owners of an Artefact Pet:

What was your appeal to it?What made you decide to drop 1250 credits on it?Would you buy it again if given the chance?Which add-on's are worth it, in your opinion?And last but not least, suggested nifty ideas for reactions?

Thanks for your input, and discussion is (as always) encouraged!

"You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else."

Comments

I've got two of them. I bought my first one initially as sort of a living accessory for Daeir, as I always saw him with some sort of crow companion/thing hanging around him all the time. While making one, I also found out they could be used to some combat benefit as well. On top of that, I figured out how to jury-rig some existing stuff I had to move him independently across the map, and then figured out how to use ANOTHER artefact I had that allows me to hold constant, vibrant and engaging conversations with him from across the continent. So in the end, he's become a character in his own right.

I didn't know any of this at the time, and it's sort of developed from having him. My second pet is just a flavor wyvern invincible mount that I did on a whim and love the shit out of.

I am also not fond of reactions. I feel like they polarize the extent at which you can portray the pet in the world, so I tend to avoid them wherever possible. I spent most of mine on reporting/teleporting reactions to aid in mobility.

Just don't do like Daeir did and annoy all your citymates with, 'OMG THE CROWS ARE FOLLOWING ME' for a RL month before you buy your pet.

Like, please. Don't do that.

Or, like me, let the customization team come up with their own mini-event for the pet's arrival and scare the living crap out of everyone by letting him be a pseudo-meteor that's going to crash in the middle of Hashan.

You will not believe how many people thought Vertani2.0 was happening.

I have a non-mountable pet panda with the amnesia attack add-on. Being non-mountable, and with amnesia being what it is, he's about as useful as a wrestling background in a boxing match. I'd trade him in in a heartbeat, but alas, no pet trade-ins. Since everyone calls him "cute" and tries to pet him, I'd like to give him a "bitchslap <player>" reaction to pettings. That might make owning him somewhat justifiable.

Basically the only reasons to buy a pet are 1: RP and 2: Invincible mount 3: Amnesia if you fight in retard a lot. Although honestly the amnesia attacks made no absolutely no difference in people's ability to cure aeonlocks when I was Jester. Someone is probably gonna say I'm wrong but the amnesia attack is a joke to most people.

Something on the verge of like eight OOC years ago I was 17-18 and had credits and wanted a kitten. Probably nowadays I would have much more creative ideas, but you know, kittens. Kittens!

So at the time I was very much into Mithraea and Neraeos both, and used to spend a lot of time in Mithraea's temple and she had firey kittens roaming around. It sort of inspired me, so I decided to do something similar, though I took some concepts and made them my own instead of outright copying it. I got the basic pet package (700 credits I think?), and I remember saving for a little over half of them IG (which was a very different thing back then than it is now, much harder to do), and then bought the other half from a few paychecks working my first job (this was also difficult because my first job paid cash under the table).

After spending like two real months creating her desc and reactions (perfectionist in the working), she finally came to life in a surprise little mini event I was given. Nothing overly special, I don't think anyone really saw it besides maybe Saidie?, but it meant a lot to me because I had no idea it was going to happen and I still pretty new to Achaea. So that was lovely. She also existed before mini pets came out so she was pretty much the original OMG SO CUTE PET THE KITTY pet, though I think Saria got something similar not long after me.

I utterly decided I wanted to have the kitten be actually from Mithraea's temple, some sort of off-breed, and to my delighted surprise, the Mithraea at the time absolutely rolled with it and encouraged it and we talked about it and so on. I was floored about that and was extremely happy I got to integrate Solii (by the way this name totally took forever to make, I thought Solii = Sunii = Sunny. Don't hate, I was 17) into the gameworld. Nowdays I've had her sort of grow up a bit from being a fish-eating cuddledoll to something a bit more progressively vicious, by changing around (and lessening greatly the amount of) reactions and her desc (nothing crazy, just took out some omgcute in it).

She originally had no real extras because amnesia/custom/invincibility was much too expensive and reporting and etc didn't exist back then. Instead I created a reaction for her to have a chance to yell out when attacked her location and who is attacking her, which worked pretty well for a long time (and was much cheaper). Over time I bought all kinds of weird reactions for her and removed others, then bought like half of the reporting emotes before it became an official package. Just recently I finished out the reporting emotes plus got her invincibility. No mounting of course, I probably would have gotten a mount in more modern times, but yeah when you're a non-com... you want kittens.

Utterly worth every bit I spent on her. She has some absolutely amazing memories attached for me, including Mithraea and her role in Melodie's life, the day some God took over control for her and started doing hilarious things with me, Aeryllin and a few others, having her "kill" things of Chaos to give to Halos, harassing Sothantos, the fact she's killed 2-3 novices and when the last one happened, Phaestus changed her shortname to "Soliinator" for like 15 minutes. I adore her so much and she's one of the absolute best investments I've made (and a hefty one at that). I keep tweaking her to involve her in Melodie's day-to-day life and it's always worth it.

And I love too Be still, my indelible friendThat love soon might end You are unbreakingAnd be known in its aching Though quakingShown in this shaking Though crazyLately of my wasteland, baby That's just wasteland, baby

I spent a hefty 1250 credits on mine even though I already have a collared mount (which I barely even use, gg monk.) Even bought credits to make up for the amount of credits I didn't have on-hand just for it.

I got my crocodile for the RP. He fits very well into my roleplay and I sacrificed the flying add-on for two additional reactions. He came to me silently and I played it off as taming a crocodile from Qurnok which tried to bite me because of the way my perfume didn't sit right with him as I was passing by. Since getting him, I've been having a blast dropping him around certain people, who feed him buffalo and use him as sort of a messenger or carrier to me. Also, the crocodile can enter places I can't, to "harass" through emotes in my stead. >.>

I just got a basic pet, no flying, no mounting (Have a collared hippogriff) and no reactions. He plays the silent killer reptile very well. Had him for about 6 RL years now and every time I feel like adding a reaction I decide against it as it just doesn't seem right.

I also leave him in the pit in Bella's to cause count*

The RP behind it was the Baron of Dun Fortress (R.I.P) gave it to me as a peace offering to stop me hunting there when I was going for Dragon. Sobby hasn't hunted there since, save for once just after the Baron was murdered but has since made his peace with them again.

Obaku is one of the best things I ever got in the realms, and it just adds an extra dynamic to Rinz. The RP introduction was pretty much top 3 memories of my time in the realms and he is just fun to have bop around and be adorable.

Luckily I got him when it was cheaper and so where reactions, but, a couple recommendations for reactions.

tells me when someone is in the roomi can tell him to follow someonemy allies can call himhe tells me when someone hands him something.

I think I was one of the first to spot Obaku, not knowing it was a mini-event for @Rinzai's pet, and I remember him nipping at Jhaeli's fingers when she tried to grab him out of the snow. I ended up nicknaming him "Little Nipper" and I've had a soft spot for that little fox ever since. Easily one of my favourite Achaean memories.

"Gilgamesh, where are you hurrying to? You will never find that [everlasting] life for which you are looking. When the gods created man they allotted to him death, but life they retained in their own keeping. As for you, Gilgamesh, fill your belly with good things; day and night, night and day, dance and be merry, feast and rejoice. Let your clothes be fresh, bathe yourself in water, cherish the little child that holds your hand, and make your wife happy in your embrace; for this too is the lot of man."

I got Sindori as a RL birthday present from my husband, he did the design work, I chose the name. I didn't know about event things, so I didn't do anything remarkable for her, but I don't regret getting her at all. Having her around helps when it comes to being in a big group because of my anxiety.

She's... basic with flight, sentience, (I got racial emotes but that's because I had her before the changes... I miss letting her pretend to be a dragon) and I just got reporting with her, which... with a little coding I've turned her into Navi.

I got Sindori as a RL birthday present from my husband, he did the design work, I chose the name. I didn't know about event things, so I didn't do anything remarkable for her, but I don't regret getting her at all. Having her around helps when it comes to being in a big group because of my anxiety.

She's... basic with flight, sentience, (I got racial emotes but that's because I had her before the changes... I miss letting her pretend to be a dragon) and I just got reporting with her, which... with a little coding I've turned her into Navi.

So, for me, she was well worth the cost I've spent on her.

"Gilgamesh, where are you hurrying to? You will never find that [everlasting] life for which you are looking. When the gods created man they allotted to him death, but life they retained in their own keeping. As for you, Gilgamesh, fill your belly with good things; day and night, night and day, dance and be merry, feast and rejoice. Let your clothes be fresh, bathe yourself in water, cherish the little child that holds your hand, and make your wife happy in your embrace; for this too is the lot of man."

I got Sindori as a RL birthday present from my husband, he did the design work, I chose the name. I didn't know about event things, so I didn't do anything remarkable for her, but I don't regret getting her at all. Having her around helps when it comes to being in a big group because of my anxiety.

She's... basic with flight, sentience, (I got racial emotes but that's because I had her before the changes... I miss letting her pretend to be a dragon) and I just got reporting with her, which... with a little coding I've turned her into Navi.

So, for me, she was well worth the cost I've spent on her.

exactly

Aristal arrives from the south.[NAVI: Aristal has arrived at my location!]H:4256(100%|), M:5288(100%|), 100%w, 100%e 92 (13.0%) 363 ex|cdbk (09:41:29)~ none ~ no line out ~ Aristal leaves to the west.[NAVI: Aristal has departed from my location!]

I got Bonsai way back in the day, so these prices you're all listing sound insane. I thought 800 or 900 credits back then was crazy. But I saved up for him. I was mimicking the pets I saw around then, so he appeared as Bonsai, a playful monkey and had crazy reactions whenever a citymate entered the room. I quickly regretted that but the Garden was pretty cool about tweaking those down. I think I turned off most of those after time, dropped Bonsai from his description, and toned him down a bit. At some point I'll probably tweak him some more and add reporting because that sounds fun, but for now, the credits aren't there to do so.

There were definitely more useful things that I could have bought but overall, can't regret him. Also, he can fly without wings which was definitely useful when Eph was Atavian and always dropping every other thing he had following him from the skies.

I've been wanting to get an artefact pet of my dog that I had put down about a month and a half ago. Silly, I know but it's a way to remember him and keep him around. Haven't done it yet cause bills have been kicking my ass, but eventually I'll have the extra cash/credits.

My dog is completely useless, but I wouldn't trade him in for the world. Pets are a massively fun part of Achaea, because they're a part of the game world that is intrinsically linked to your character, rather than just a +2 to one of your stats.

Nothing against arties, natch, but if I could reroll everything I've spent I'd just have a shitload of pets and a veil to annoy Nim.

I've been wanting to get an artefact pet of my dog that I had put down about a month and a half ago. Silly, I know but it's a way to remember him and keep him around. Haven't done it yet cause bills have been kicking my ass, but eventually I'll have the extra cash/credits.

I'm so sorry about your dog I was thinking of making my next pet after one of mine, so I get it. I think it is very sweet.

@Ainia I'm at just over 65 pets/mounts/loyals, and 7 crated ones being held by others, elsewhere. I don't even want to begin to add up their value, because I would probably cry. There are 1400+ credits in Peabody alone.

@Ainia I'm at just over 65 pets/mounts/loyals, and 7 crated ones being held by others, elsewhere. I don't even want to begin to add up their value, because I would probably cry. There are 1400+ credits in Peabody alone.

Ewald is the full artie pet package, sentience, invincibility, mount, flight, plus a few more reactions, basically.

Some days, I get a lot more RP playing the mount than playing the character. I absolutely love the ram and wouldn't want to miss him.

Also, I really agree with @Iocun about doing mean things and keeping the character innocent, there are so many things you can do with a pet, then thwap him and tell him to behave. I greatly enjoy that.

I understand not being able to trade in pets and I understand not being able to change the type of artifact (can't change a Torc of Telepathy into a Helmet of Telepathy), but for gods sake, why can't you change the type of pet?

I've tried to change my jaguar into something else and was just straight up told they could charge me 100cr to change the description of the jaguar but that no amount of credits would change the jaguar into a monkey or something else. They said the best they could do was delete the jaguar and charge me the full amount for another pet...

With how often people change class there should be some kind of way to change the type of animal your pet is. I can easily see a knight wanting to change his pet horse for a monkey when he goes Magi or a follower of Vastar changing their bird to a whatever when they join a different order or turn a fun/silly pet like a kangaroo/kitten/panda cub into a more serious pet like a great dane/eagle/snake when their RP changes because they've swapped cities or have gotten into a more serious role or class.

Charging 100cr to swap your 1250cr fluff ball into a more appropriate pet that you'll actually use for your developed RP shouldn't be impossible.